A large group of migrants arrived at Chicago’s Union Station last week after having been sent there by bus from Texas. Their arrival is Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s (R) latest attempt to draw Democrats’ attention to the ongoing crisis at the southern border.
“President Biden’s inaction at our southern border continues putting the lives of Texans – and Americans – at risk and is overwhelming our communities,” argues Abbott, adding that the “busing mission” has provided “much-needed relief” to overrun border communities.
With no resources left to spare, Abbott began sending migrants to “sanctuary cities” in April. According to CNN, the state has spent upwards of $12 million on transportation to send as many as 9,000 migrants to cities that claim to have the resources to care for them (transportation within the US is typically something migrants are forced to pay for as their asylum cases are processed). Governor Abbott’s requests for financial assistance in this endeavor have resulted in a measly $167,828.
After finding it more difficult than expected to provide services to migrants arriving from Texas, Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has appealed twice to the National Guard for assistance. Both of her requests were ignored.
Authorities in New York City are also finding it difficult to assist new arrivals from Texas during a time in which legal residents are struggling to afford groceries and rent.
A spokesperson for New York City Mayor Eric Adams called Abbott a “hypocrite” for claiming to love the United States while sending migrants out of Texas, though I find the real hypocrisy here lies with Democrats who: 1) Proclaim to support illegals but don’t want them inside their own cities, 2) Claim to be patriots while prioritizing the welfare of illegals over that of citizens, or 3) Both.
“Adams talked the talk about being a sanctuary city, welcoming illegal immigrants into the Big Apple with warm hospitality,” wrote Abbott in a scathing essay picked up by the New York Post. “Talk is cheap. When pressed into fulfilling such ill-considered policies, he wants to condemn anyone who is pressing him to walk the walk.”
Abbott added that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot “loves to tout the responsibility of her city to welcome all regardless of legal status” and said he “look[s] forward to seeing this responsibility in action as these migrants receive resources from a sanctuary city with the capacity to serve them.”
The buses sent from Texas to Chi-Town contained between 60 and 100 people including pregnant women and up to 30 small children. Most came from Venezuela and some entered the country illegally. According to Abbott, the migrants were transported only after obtaining written permission.
A spokesman for Mayor Lightfoot’s office confirmed Chicago would welcome the migrants with “dignity and respect” and described Abbott’s actions as “horrific,” “racist,” and “without shame or humanity.” Without naming former President Donald Trump, the spokesman went on to say that “racism, discrimination, and human cruelty have played a pivotal role in how immigrants are received within our borders” and claimed Chicago was “still recovering from the previous presidential administration, which encouraged this behavior.”
Speaking from Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, where some of the migrants were taken, Mayor Lightfoot described Abbott’s actions as “immoral” and “unpatriotic” and claimed that his intentions were to “humiliate the president” and “to humiliate Democratic cities, led by Democratic mayors.”
Illinois gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, a Republican, had a much different response:
“The crisis at the border has a terrible human cost and we in Illinois are about to get a close up look. No city or state has the resources to handle this. [Illinois Governor JB] Pritzker should get his buddy Biden to fix the border. Biden also owes us the resources to vet and take care of these people.”
Chicago has been preparing for weeks to receive migrants from Texas, though no official notice was provided by Abbott’s office. The Illinois Department of Human Services and Emergency Management Agency learned about the incoming buses from a regional FEMA office. As a sanctuary city, Chicago will be forced to provide services to these individuals regardless of immigration status including food, clothing, temporary housing, medical assistance, and legal advice. The city’s police are not required to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Sources:
Texas sends buses of migrants to Chicago for first time, dropped off at train station
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sends bus of migrants to Chicago
‘Our city is prepared’: Chicago welcomes Texas migrants after Gov. Abbott sends busloads of people